Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Babu Owino has criticized President William Ruto’s administration one year into office.
Babu Owino stated that since taking over power, Ruto was yet to address issues raised by Kenyans.
“One year in office nothing has been addressed. What we can celebrate is the many travels that this government has made abroad, but nothing else,” the lawmaker explained.
Owino accused President Ruto of adopting strategies enforced by the previous regime instead of bringing in new methods to address problems facing the country.
“He is using the same tactics the former government were using that failed. He is literally planning to fail.”
The legislator further broke down his argument touching on primary issues including; healthcare, education and agriculture.
Ruto wants to overburden taxpayers
Babu Owino opined that reforms in the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) will only overburden taxpayers.
In the new proposals, NHIF will be restructured into the Social Health Insurance Fund.
This will comprise of three packages namely; Primary Healthcare Fund; Social Health Insurance Fund; and Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund.
According to the Embakasi East MP, the president’s delegation of the fund to the private sector is an admission of corruption in his government.
“With these three you are literally increasing the administrative costs. When you increase costs you are overburdening the common mwananchi. It cannot lead to growth of the economy.”
Moi funded Ruto in university
On matters education, Babu Owino reiterated his dissatisfaction with the increment of university fees and subsequent loans by the current administration.
“Ruto would not be where he is were it not for education. His deputy the same, me the same. During Moi’s time students who qualified for university were being admitted at 100%,” he commented.
It was therefore unfair for children of ‘mama mboga’ to leave university with loans of up to KSh1.2 million, added Babu Owino.
Babu Owino speaks on Agriculture
The lawmaker did not mince his words when it came to criticizing Ruto for ‘failing’ in the agriculture sector, which is his forte.
“We are being told that fertilizer is being subsidized. As you subsidize fertilizer then you increase the tax on fuel. Therefore the cost of transporting fertilizer from one destination to the other value increases.
“The farmer will make sure they get back that cost through their farm produce. That means you are doing zero work. At the end of the day cost of maize will be high and cost of living now remains high.”
Babu Owino went on to say, “I am a disappointed man in Ruto. Someone who is educated, a person who was a minister for agriculture…”
The legislator concluded by rating Ruto -1 out of 10 as he marks one year in office.
